CUTTACK: A 45-year-old maulana, who had been on the run for around eight years after a woman accused him of raping her, has been arrested by Jagatpur police from Jamshedpur in Jharkhand. The accused maulana has been identified as Sk Najmul Arfin alias Hapiz.
According to police sources, the woman of Padmapur in Jagatpur had lodged a complaint on July 27, 2018, stating that her husband was an alcoholic and also suspected her character, which led to frequent marital disputes. Fed up with his drinking behaviour, she had sought refuge with the maulana Hapiz to get medicines to wean her husband away from alcohol.
She had alleged that Hapiz called her inside his room and forcefully raped her on the pretext of performing faith-healing rituals.
He then threatened to kill her husband and children if she disclosed the matter and continued to rape her repeatedly.
Acting on the FIR, a case was registered under section 376(2)(n) of IPC. However, soon after the victim lodged the complaint, the maulana fled the area and had been absconding since.
Continuing its efforts to nab him, police tracked his location to Jamshedpur. A team from Jagatpur police station proceeded to Jharkhand and succeeded in arresting him with the assistance of Jamshedpur police.
The accused was working as a maulana at a mosque in Jamshedpur when police arrested him. He has been produced before the court of JMFC (Rural), Cuttack, said a senior police officer.